Door



Dec. 5, 1950 I 5. w, R 2,532,758

' DOOR Filed Feb. 16, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Iva/we Z02" ewyeZla/Zace (a/v G. W. CARR Dec. 5, 1950 DOOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1946 [far/eggs.

r r 6 1 r Patented Dec. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '7 Claims.

This invention relates to a gate construction and is particularly applicable to a gate which is formed of two parts. It has for one object to provide a mechanism which causes one part to move more rapidly than the other.

Another object is to provide, in connection with a two-part gate adapted to be moved by impact, means for causing one of the parts to move rapidly than the other.

Another object is to provide a two-part door or gate construction so arranged that the uppermost part of the door moves, upon opening, more rapidly than the lower part of the door.

Another object is to provide a gate or door construction so arranged that the uppermost part of the door is automatically moved beyond the margin of a vehicle passing through the gate, whether or not the gate is opened by the passage of the vehicle or by any other means.

Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specification and claims.

This invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is door;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken at line 2-2 of Figure 1, with the doors in the closed position;

Figure 3 is a transverse section showing the doors during the opening movement;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional detail taken on an enlarged scale at line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a detail in elevation of the gear mechanism shown in Figures 1 and 4.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and the drawings.

In the particular form here shown, the door or gate construction is mounted in a wall or upon some other permanent support indicated generally by the numeral I. A door frame is formed by the members 2. Thi frame may be of any desired construction and is not limited to the particular construction here shown.

A style 3, 3a is secured to the frame 2 and supports the hinges and the fixed member of the gear assembly. Each half of the door is formed of two sections. Thus each half comprises a lower section 4 and an upwardly extending section or vertical rail 5. This portion of the door is supported from the style 3 by double acting hinges. These hinges maybe of any desired nature, and the invention is not limited to any particular double acting hinge. Many such are now on the market and are available for use a front elevation of one form of the with the door of the present invention. As shown, each of the double acting hinges includes a portion 6 which is secured to the vertical rail 5. Each hinge also includes a member 1 which is secured to the member 2.

The portions 4 and 5 constitute a generally L- shaped panel or primary leaf of the gate or door, and to each of these portions there is hinged a secondary leaf or panel 8. Each secondary leaf is mounted in the member 5 at its lower end in a hinge 9 and at its upper end in a support 50.

Fixed to the frame 2 or to the member 3 is a gear l I. As shown, this gear is in effect two segments, but they are positioned to be continuous and are preferably integral. Meshed with the gear H is a gear I2 carried by the secondary gate leaf 8.

The'primary leaf portions 4 may, if desired, be provided with bumpers 13. These bumpers extend, particularly as shown in Figure 3, on both sides of the section 4 and provide members which may be contacted by a vehicle Without damage.

It has been stated above that many different forms of double acting hinges may be used. Generally such hinges will include springs indicated at M, Figure 3. Any hinge which will permit the door or gate structure to swing either way, as indicated by the arrows of Figure 2, may be used.

Although I have shown an operative form of my invention, it will be recognized that many changes in the form, shape and arrangement of parts can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and my showing is therefore to be taken as, in a sense, diagrammatic.

The use and operation of this invention are as follows: v

The device will ordinarily be mounted as shown in Figure l in particular. Looks or latches may or may not be provided, as desired. The gate is usually left free to swing and is open by contact with a vehicle such as the vehicle !5, which may or may not have a bumper l6. In any event and whatever the construction of the vehicle, with the door in the position of Figure l, the vehicle is driven against it, and some portion of the vehicle strikes the gate portions 4, initiating their swinging movement.

As this movement occurs, the gears l2 which are secured to the secondary gate portions 8 are moved with respect to the fixed gears II, and thus the secondary gate portions 8 are rotated at a speed greater than that of the primary portions 4. The members 4 are moved directly as the vehicle I5 moves and by direct contact with it.

The portions 8 have this movement, and in addition have an accelerated movement because of the gear drive, and thus they move more rapidly in the opening direction. As shown in Figure 3 the door sections l are only partially open and are still in contact with the vehicle it, but the sections 8 have swung open far beyond the margin of the vehicle 15.

An important advantage of the construction of this invention is that the gate is so constructed that upon being opened by a vehicle which is to pass through it, the upper part of the gate is automatically moved far away from the vehicle and therefore anything on the vehicle which might protrude cannot strike the gate.

Trucks and vehicles are frequently piled full, or the load is so arranged that it extends outwardly beyond the line of the vehicle. In a conventional gate which is opened by contact with the vehicle or which is otherwise opened only sufficiently to permit the Vehicle itself to pass through, such portions of the load as extend beyond the outline of the vehicle will strike the gate and be damaged or dislodged. The present construction prevents this, because that portion of the gate which might strike articles projecting beyond the outline of the vehicle is moved rapidly away from the vehicle and is not in any position to be contacted by any part of the load of the vehicle or by anything mounted upon or extending from the vehicle.

I claim:

1. In a door construction, a door member comprising relazively movable upper and lower panel members, means mounting said lower panel memher for swinging movement about a vertical axis adjacent to the rear edge of said door member, means mounting said upper panel member for swinging movement with the lower panel member about said vertical axis and for swinging movement relative to said lower panel member about a second axis adiacent to and substantially parallel to said vertical axis, said panel members extending radially from their respective axes in substantially the same direction when the door member is in closed position, said upper panel member projectin from said second axis substantially the full width of the door member and extending upwardly above said lower panel to substantially the full height of the door member, and motion transmission means operatively connected between a fixed support and said second panel member for swinging said second panel member about said second axis in response to and in the same direction as swinging movement of the first panel member about said first axis.

2. The construction described in claim 1 wherein the door member is mounted for swinging movement in either direction from said closed position.

3. The construction described in claim 1 wherein the lower panel member extends substantially the full width of the door.

4. The construction described in claim 1 wherein said motion transmission means comprises intermeshing gears, one of said gears being nonrotatably mounted on said second panel with its axis aligned with said second axis and one of said gears being non-rotatably mounted in fixed relation to and with its axis aligned with said vertical axis.

5. In a door construction, a door member comprising a first panel'member and a second panel member, said first panel member being generally L-shaped in form, means hingedly connecting said panel members for swinging movement with respect to each other about an axis generally parallel to one leg of the L-shaped panel member with said second panel member lying within the angle defined by the legs of said L-shaped panel member, means carried by said one leg of the L-shaped panel member for mounting the door member for swinging movement about a second axis generally parallel to said first-mentioned axis, and motion transmission means operatively connected between a fixed support and said second panel member to swing said second panel member about said first axis in response to and in the same direction as swinging movement of the door member about said second axis.

6. In a door construction, a door member of generally rectangular outline and comprising a pair of panel members, one of said panel members being generally L-shaped and the other of said panel members being generally rectangular in form, means hingedly connecting said panel members for swinging movement with re pect to each other about an axis generally parallel to one leg of the L-shaped panel member and with said generally rectangular panel member in overlying relation to the other leg of the L-shaped panel member, means carried by said one leg of the L- shaped panel member for mounting the door member for swinging movement about a second axis generally parallel to said first mentioned axis, and motion transmission means operatively connected between a fixed support and said second panel member to swing said second panel member about said first axis in response to and in the same direction as swinging movement of the door member about said second mentioned axis.

7. The construction described in claim 6 wherein said motion transmission means comprises inoer-meshing gears, one of said gears being nonrotatably mounted on said second panel with its axis aligned with said first mentioned axis and one of said gears being non-rotatably mounted in fixed relation to and with its axis aligned with said second mentioned axis.

GEORGE WALLACE CARR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 766,762 Erwood Aug. 8, 1904 916,045 Skov et al. Mar. 23, 1909 1,172,561 Rowntree Feb. 22, 1916 2,322,372 Levy June 22, 1943 2,406,710 Riggles Aug. 27, 1946 

